Defending Georgia's Coast: The Center for a Sustainable Coast ushers in its 25th anniversary
When a group of public-spirited environmental professionals and concerned citizens teamed up in 1997 to form the Center for a Sustainable Coast, it jumpstarted a fight to defend Georgia’s coast.
25 years later and the fight is still alive. The nonprofit organization began with a focus on water protection and water quality issues. At the time, there were a number of known problems with water quality in coastal watersheds including upriver contamination.
In an effort to strengthen the protection of the watersheds, they helped launched two Riverkeeper groups for the Altahama and Satilla rivers by organizing them as nonprofits, securing initial grants and assisting in their certified designation as riverkeepers by the Waterkeeper Alliance.
Read More: Black gill parasite causes fall harvest declines in Georgia White Shrimp
Related: Savannah Morning News brings on new statewide climate and environmental reporting position
Also: Savannah pledges a low carbon future
In 2006, their focus shifted toward climate change. While David Kyler, executive director for the Center for a Sustainable Coast, said most of the local environmental groups deal with the resilience and adaptation to climate effects, their focus has been on preventing the worst impacts of escalating climate change.
“What we've been advocating more than anything else over the last 15 years is eliminating the cause of climate change, that is reducing greenhouse gases, getting off fossil fuels, and converting to clean power,” Kyler said. “Decisively reducing the cause of climate change is unique to the Center’s footprint because we believe it is a high priority that no one else is adequately covering."
Throughout those years, Kyler said the work he’s most proud of is a series of public forums on climate change they hosted in Savannah from 2016 to 2018. With those forums, they helped educate coastal residents about the cause of climate change and its escalating consequences which laid the groundwork for developing a resolution dedicated to reducing greenhouse gases.
The resolution, which set a community-wide goal of 100% safe, clean and renewable electricity by 2035, was adopted by the Savannah City Council in 2020. Karen Grainey, co-director of the Center for a Sustainable Coast, was among those who pushed for the resolution in Savannah the longest.
In 2016, a rail spur that would have brought as much as 10,000 tons of toxic coal ash per day was proposed in Jesup, the county seat of Wayne County. The Center assisted the residents, whose health was at risk, by establishing a Coal Ash Legal Fund that defeated the proposal.
These instances are just a few of the many issues the center has tackled in its 25 years. To celebrate their work, The Center will have a celebration on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. It will take place in the rural landscape of historic Liberty County at 5836 Islands Highway, Midway, GA 30320. Award-winning author, naturalist and activist Janisee Ray will be the guest of honor.
Reflecting on the past and the future, Kyler said there’s still much work to be done to reduce greenhouse gases significantly in the next 10 years which could cause “apocalyptic implications for the future.”
“If we're going to have much of a future, we've got to work collectively. And by that, I mean working with the public and collaboratively with other organizations, nationally, regionally, statewide and internationally to reduce greenhouse gases,” Kyler said.
“If you don't put your energy and commitment behind your hope, then it's just wishful thinking and complacency. So we're all for hope, but we're also strongly advising people to get involved and take action."
Laura Nwogu is the quality of life reporter for Savannah Morning News. Contact her at LNwogu@gannett.com. Twitter: @lauranwogu_
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah's Center for a Sustainable Coast celebrates 25 years
